


You must be a Gaunt

by TheQueenInTheNorth



Series: tumblr au meme [5]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, is anyone straight in this you might wonder, the answer is no
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-31
Updated: 2017-07-31
Packaged: 2018-12-09 08:35:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11665488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheQueenInTheNorth/pseuds/TheQueenInTheNorth
Summary: Bellatrix never understood why her sister ran off. Until suddenly, she did. //a part of the prompt collection that got a little out of control//





	You must be a Gaunt

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Gordis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gordis/gifts).



> prompt: Delphie is growing with 6 elder brothers that are not much nicer to her than Morphin was to Merope. Voldemort struggles to feed the large family. The harassed Bellatrix starts to resemble Molly.

**1969 - home  
**

1) "I don't want you marrying him,"he says, softly, and she's not sure she's meant to have heard at all. She bites her lip, halfway to the door, willing herself not to cry."I know. Neither do I. I have to, now that Andromeda's -"

She trails off, shakes her head, and leaves before she can change her mind.

2) She thinks of running away, of course she does. Sometimes, she can't fault her sister for that decision. Thinks maybe Andromeda was brave for doing what she did, and not a disloyal fool. But she can't bring herself to do it. Can't even imagine where that disgrace would leave her family. Where it would leave Cissa.

(She loves her sister dearly. Yet some days she hates her, because she could leave if it weren't for her.)

3) She stares at the confirmation of what she already knew deep down. She only took the test in hopes of being mistaken. But she's pregnant, there's no more doubt now.

"Get rid of it,"she whispers to herself, even as her hands curl protectively over her still-flat stomach."Just get rid of it, and never mention it."

She knows she won't. Knows she never could. Not his child. Not _theirs_.

(He smiles when she tells him, and when he kisses her, she knows they'll be all right.)

4) He buys her a ring, though he looks almost apologetic when he gives it to her. It's nothing like the lavish jewels she was showered in all her life, nothing like what she'd wear as Madame Lestrange, they both know that. But nothing has ever meant more to her, and that is all that truly matters.

He promises her a house, he promises her everything she ever dreamed of. He doesn't realise that marrying a man she actually loves is more than she ever dared to even think about.

(They should have thought to lock the door, but they didn't. Cygnus finds them as she's packing her bags.)

5) The slap echoes around the room.

Bellatrix staggers back, fingers touching her burning cheek. Cygnus stands there, hand still half-raised, eyes blazing with anger. Voldemort is upon him before he can react, long fingers closing around his throat, wand digging into his cheek, snarling into his face."You filthy, worthless -"

The smell of burning flesh fills the room from where Voldemort's wand touches Cygnus's skin, his face turning red as Voldemort's hold on his throat tightens.

For a few seconds, Bellatrix is frozen. Lets it happen. Wants it to happen. Then she comes to her senses.

"Don't! You're killing him!" Bellatrix launches forward, pulling at his robes."Let him go! Please don't!"

Voldemort releases him after a second's hesitation, shoving Cygnus away as if it costs him great effort. Cygnus retches and gasps for air, staggering back as Voldemort takes a menacing step towards him."If you ever lay so much as a finger on her again, nothing will stop me from killing you."

He turns away from him with one last, contemptuous look."Come, Bella. We're leaving."

She doesn't ask where they'll go. She doesn't care, as long as it's away from here.

**1969 - heart  
**

1) She doesn't spare a single thought for the dress in the closet of her childhood home, for the band already booked, for the menu picked out, not even for Narcissa's excitement and their goblin-made shoes.

That wedding in all its glamour means nothing, never meant anything.

They go to the Minsitry, sign the papers, and just like that, she's married. It couldn't be more perfect.

(Of course she notices the whispers following them down the halls. The ring on her finger just makes it impossible to care. She briefly wonders whether Andromeda felt the same way.)

2) They move out of his small flat after only a few days, despite her insistence that it's fine, that they can stay here.

"And where would we keep the baby?"he says, tone gentle and teasing. More at ease than she's ever known him."The cupboard?"

"Or the bathtub, I suppose,"she teases right back, and follows him to the little cottage he's bought them. His bank account must be wiped out, now, but she doesn't mention that.

It's lovely. You could stuff it into her childhood home three times over, of course, but somehow she doesn't care. It's like those homes dotted along the French coast, the ones Andromeda would coo over, the ones Mother scathingly remarked were barely fit for peasantry.

"It's beautiful,"she tells him as she strolls through their new home. The trees outside are just starting to bloom. Apples, she thinks, and cherries. Reggie would love to sit there and read. Walburga would never let him come here.

She pushes the thought away as she pushes open another door. A third bedroom. She turns to smile at him, hand on her stomach."So now I don't just get back my cupboard space, we'd actually have room for another one?"

He doesn't reply, just kisses her.

3) The letters come pouring in soon enough, Walburga's howler the first. Bella's own parents don't bother with that; to them, it's as if she's never existed in the first place. She rolls her eyes all the way through her aunt's tirade, and then thinks of it never again.

There are some from old class mates, which she really hadn't expected. Laurelai Walz, who'll soon be a Greengrass, writes to tell her she's still invited to her wedding, and offers congratulations. Rita Skeeter warns her the whole thing might make it into Witch Weekly's Sunday Edition, which from the Ravenclaw is the closest thing to a supportive message you could get.

Slughorn sends his good wishes, and insinuates he knows his Slug Club will be a member richer in eleven years. He always has his ear close to the ground. She writes back very politely; not all bridges need burning, and he might have some use some day.

Sirius writes her a long letter begging her to let him and Reggie come live with them, and it's the saddest thing she's ever read. He's never even met Voldemort, but seems to prefer his cousin and some stranger over his parents. Not that she can blame him. Walburga was never as gentle, as loving as Druella. Orion always too harsh, nothing like Cygnus. And even they disowned two daughters...

She writes him back, and hopes his parents won't intercept the letter. Her explanation of custody and her apologies seem feeble, seem empty, but she promises to come visit every Hogsmead weekend. Four years that's away. But she doesn't dare set foot anywhere near Grimmauld Place.

Narcissa's letter is actually a parcel, stuffed full to breaking point with Bella's shrunken down possessions. A _lot_ of jewlery. Bellatrix pets her tummy with a smile,"That's Auntie Cissy saying she doesn't want you dressed in rags. Which really means she loves you."

She knows the handwriting on the last envelope, and it goes into the fire unopened. Andromeda ran off for the Mudblood. She only left the family for her baby. It's not the same. (Or maybe it's just that Meda hurt her by leaving.)

4) Voldemort protests against her selling her jewlery, but she doesn't let it persuade her.

"I don't like half of these things,"she tells him, already packing them all up to head to Diagon Alley."I'll keep the ones I'll actually wear."

Maybe that isn't entirely true. But she knows her father, she knows Roderick Lestrange, and she knows they'll put all the obstacles they can manage in their way. And she wants a nice nursery, and maybe a little something to fall back on one day.

(He must have gone through some trouble to get recognised for access of the Gaunt family vault, because their newly shared vault is down almost as far as the Black family's. It's considerably emptier.)

5) "I can't be seen supporting your cause anymore,"Lucius say, and to his credit, he does look somewhat sorry."Roderick's pushing for Rodolphus to marry Narcissa now, and I don't need to give Cygnus any reason to agree." He pauses, as if not quite sure why he even came here in the first place."We could elope, I suppose, but the scandal -" He breaks off with a shudder. Looks around their small home with something like horror. At the thought of being caught here, or at the lack of glamour, Bellatrix can't say. Lucius forces a smile."Once things have calmed down -"

"Thank you,"Voldemort cuts him off, polite mask not slipping, but Bellatrix can see the cracks. She ushers Lucius out of the house with orders to give her love to Cissy.

("They don't deserve the world we were going to build them, if they're this fickle,"he tells her that night, but she can tell he is hurt. In his pride, mostly.)

**1970**

1) It's been a hard few months, but Bellatrix hasn't regretted her choice for one second. They've even fallen into a sort of domestic routine; she would have laughed if anyone had told her a year ago that she'd soon be cooking for her husband and knitting baby clothes.

But she surprisingly enjoys the handiwork, and it doesn't hit the pocket like buying new, and her baby won't have to make do with only second hand clothes. And after a few disastrous attempts at cooking, she realised it was a lot like potions, if you just closely followed the receipes. And she always had a knack for potions.

She is putting some finishing touches to the nursery when Voldemort comes home. He looks tired, but then, he usually does. He's been bouncing from temporary job to temporary job for too long. Roderick Lestrange doesn't forgive quickly, and he has a lot of influence.

"How are you?"she asks, and he crosses the room to kiss her forehead."Better, now that I'm home."

His hand rests on her round stomach, and she smiles.

2) Roddy sends her an apology for his father's behaviour, and a cheque. She wishes she could resist redeeming it, but they're barely scraping by, and he was her best friend for years. Would still be, if their parents hadn't muddled things up by enganging them.

She tells Voldemort she sold some more jewlery she'd forgotten about, and vows to herself to burn the letter if Rodolphus should ever send her another.

3) Laurelai's wedding is lovely, and Bellatrix tries very hard not to mind they're seated with her German third cousins. She knows Laure's already risking a scandal by not only keeping up her invitation to Bellatrix, but adding Voldemort, too.

They're in new, elegant robes that they'll probably regret buying, and she sees Evan Rosier scowl as he catches sight of them. He'll surely report back home that the disgraceful little slut isn't even regretting her betrayal.

She smirks at him, and lets her husband guide her to the dancefloor.

4) She cries when she goes into labour.

It's not the pain, though that's worse than she thought it would be. She wants her mother, and she feels pathetic for it. They haven't spoken in eight months. She'll never meet her grandchild. Bellatrix doesn't want to care, knows she shouldn't care. Her mother could come meet the baby, could've come to see her daughter despite who she married. But she didn't, and somehow, just now, that hurts more than the contractions.

She cries when they lay the baby on her chest, too. But those tears are good.

"He's perfect,"Voldemort says, voice almost breaking.

5) Once again, the letters come pouring in. Congratulations and presents.

Slughorn's is noticably absent, but neither of them mention it. Cygnus must have gotten to him by now.

Uncle Alphard's is short and to the point, as if he had to send it quickly before he could change his mind. He always had only the faintest hint of backbone.

Narcissa sends a complete layette, Regulus a snake cuddle toy and a rattle, Sirius a mobile ( _Cissa said I couldn't get him a broom yet.)_ and his own copy of Tales of Beedle the Bard ( _I'm too old for those now. Besides, you were the only one who read to us anyway._ ) His letter is happier than the last, which is a relief, even if it's just barely upbeat. ( _Lucius lets me and Reg come, too, when Cissa visits. The bloke's alright, Bella. Send your letters there and Mother can't get them. Did you pick a name yet? Sirius is a good one, just saying._ )

She holds it longer this time, but ultimately Andromeda's goes in the fire again, seal unbroken.

(She doesn't mention that Dromeda tried to contact her twice now when Narcissa comes to visit her nephew. "I can only stay a few minutes,"she says apologetically."Mother thinks I'm heading to Lucius's, and she'll check with Mrs Malfoy. You know how she is."

As if he knows they are pinched for time, Hydrus chooses that moment to open his eyes and sleepily blink up at his aunt.)

**1971**

1) "I got the job at _Dervish and Banges_ ,"Voldemort tells her, sitting on the floor next to Hydrus, who is intently working on getting up by himself for the first time. She sits down next to them with a bright smile."That's great."

Owned by a halfblood who went to school in Beauxbattons, it's not really in the sphere of Lestrange's influence. The pay isn't anything to brag about, but it offers job security.

"I've been thinking, if we could manage to save up a bit, I could get into brewing." She says it casually, while looking at their son. Has been thinking about it for a while, but knew that with him barely holding down a job, she shouldn't bring it up."I mean, I'm home anyway, and once the initial investment is paid off, it should bring in some money."

"Sounds reasonable,"he says, brushing his fingers against hers."You were always good with potions."

2) The letter is addressed to Hydrus, this time. She briefly wonders how Andromeda found out his name. Is Sirius writing her, too? She somehow doubts it. Not that it really matters.

It sits on the dresser for three days before she opens it afterall. It's not hers to throw, she reasons.

There's a birthday card in it, and a shrunken gift that turns out to be a lamp that throws the nightsky onto the ceiling.

"It's polite to say thank you for presents,"Bellatrix tells Hydrus as she lets him slap a colourful handprint onto the most generic thank-you card she could find. She signs with his name, too."And good manners cost nothing. Cosy everyone along, you know."

He babbles along, and she decides to take it as agreement.

3) It's not much of a surprise when Sirius is sorted into Gryffindor, and she's glad Cissa floos her to tell her as soon as the family finds out.

She's up all night knitting him a red and gold scarf and cursing the stupid fudge that looked so easy in the cookbook but won't turn out the way she wants it, but she manages to send their owl on its way before the sun is up, so it should make it to Hogwarts by breakfast time, hopefully. Whatever Walburga does, he'll need something to counter it.

(She's writing McGonagall the second she's done with the parcel.)

4) "Well, this is highly unusual, I must admit,"Professor McGonagall says. Her lips thin to a line in disapproval."But all things considered, a good idea."

"Walburga send a howler?" It's not really a question, even if posed as one.

"Several,"McGonagall says simply, mouth almost disappearing now. She gets up to open the door as it knocks.

"I didn't do it, Professor, I swear,"she hears her cousin say before she sees him.

"Do what?"McGonagall asks.

"Uh." A confused pause."I dunno. Whatever I'm here for, I guess."

"You aren't in trouble, Mr Black." A definiate tone of amusement now.

"I should hope not,"Bellatrix says drily."You've only been here a few days, Siri."

He jumps around his Head of House and launches himself at his cousin."Bella!" He's wearing the scarf she made."Bella, I didn't know you'd come!"

"Had to get permission first." She tousels his hair as he looks up at her in confusion, arms still locked around her waist."Mother said you could -"

He trails off, realising that makes no sense. They haven't been in a room together in years. She nods to McGonagall."Your Head made the call. You'll be alright in that house."

Now he launches himself at a distinctly misty-eyed professor, too.

("Miss Black?"

The voice catches her of guard; she's almost out of the school again; she had tea with Sirius and stopped for a chat with Cissy.

"Mrs Gaunt,"she corrects automatically.

"Of course, forgive me." His eyes still have that annoying twinkle."Old teachers always think of their students as their students. Is Tom not with you?"

"Voldemort,"she corrects, with venom this time."And no, he's at home with our son. I just dropped by to offer some moral support to my cousin."

"He's at home with your son,"he repeats, as if that doesn't quite make sense to him. Surely he can't have missed Hydrus's birth? No one is that far removed from the Hogwarts gossip ravine.

"Yes,"she says slowly, as if to a child. Is the old coot just fixed on gender roles? "He's the father. He's perfectly capable of taking care of Hyde."

"Of course,"he says again, but she can see the wheels turning behind his too blue eyes.)

5) "Dumbledore offered me a job,"Voldemort says, looking down at the letter in his hand as if it had personally offended him."The Defense teacher only signed on for a year." He chuckles at that."Seems they're getting a bit smarter, finally."

"He offered you a job he refused to give you?"asks Bellatrix, forwning. That man had always been odd, but after his starnge reaction to her a week ago, and now this, it seemed he was getting odder by the minute.

"Apparently,"he says. Bella thinks about it for a moment."Tell him to fuck off."

"Fu'off,"Hydrus agrees happily, smashing his hands into his mashed potatoes and speckling them all with it.

Bellatrix stares at him in horror for a few seconds, then bursts out laughing.

Voldemort grins."Told you it couldn't be long til he said more than Ma and Da."

**1972**

1) Andromeda sends another birthday card. Bellatrix lets Hydrus draw a picture, and even writes down what it's supposed to be. She herself can already barely even tell what's supposed to be part of the snake and what of the flowers. (Hydrus loves snakes, and has recently realised he can speak to them. They visit the grass snake in their yard every day.)

She still only signs with her son's name.

2) Her little postal potion service is going pretty well by now; at least well enough that Voldemort doesn't have to work overtime most days.

But they have another baby on the way, and she thinks it's about time for all those tedious Slug Club parties to pay off, even if Slughorn hasn't reached out to them in years. But she was one of his favourites, and she knows his favourite haunts.

She strolls into Mulligrubs with Hydrus on her hip, and as she'd hoped, Slughorn can't resist greeting her. Whatever Cygnus said, it's been a while, and the old professor loves to meddle."Bellatrix, my dear, how are you?"

"Very well, thank you,"she gives him her brightest smile. Then she turns her attention to her son, giving his stuffed snake a little wriggle."Hyde, honey, say hello to Professor Slughorn."

She's had him focussed on snakes all day long, and it works. It's hissing that spills from his mouth. Bellatrix giggles, acting as if she doesn't even notice Slughorn's flabbergasted face."You have to speak English, Hydrus, Professor Slughorn can't understand Parseltongue."

"Hullo, 'fessor,"Hydrus says obediently, in English this time, offering Slughorn a shy little wave.

"Hello, Hydrus,"Slughorn says automatically. He doesn't take his eyes of the child as he adresses Bellatrix."The boy is a Parselmouth?"

"Oh, yes,"she replies, as if it's nothing special. She rubs her hand over her stomach. She's very barely starting to show."This one'll be, too, I expect. Like their father."

"Voldemort never told me,"he begins, but trails off. She can practically hear the pieces click into place. Now if only she didn't push her luck by revealing too much...

But he loves his collections, and he loves to pull the strings, and he hasn't called him Tom in years, and she can see his reluctance crumbling."What is Voldemort doing these days? A friend of mine in the International Magical Office of Law is about to retire."

(And _that_ 's why Blacks usually get sorted into Slytherin, she thinks as she goes home.)

3) Regulus doesn't follow in his brother's footsteps, but goes to Slytherin, where he belongs. He gets a handknitted green and silver scarf, and both brothers get their start of term packet of sweets.

(The letter to tell her she's gotten better at making fudge is entirely in Siri's handwritting, but Reggie signed it, too, and she's satisfied they won't let the opposing houses turn into some petty thing, even if Walburga likely does her best to make just that happen. She'll just have to keep counteracting.)

4) She opens the door on the third knock, and is stunned to see her sister standing there. Not Cissa, which would be surprising enough, with Druella's smothering attention.

"You're a stubborn bitch, d'you know that?" The first thing Andromeda has said to her in years. Bella doesn't know if she should laugh or cry. She decides on neither, and says,"Well, look who's talking."

They embrace, rather awkwardly, given Bellatrix's big stomach, and Andromeda's slightly rounded one.

"So the mudblood knocked you up?"Bella says, even as she's waving her sister into the house. Andromeda smirkes at her, mirror of her own."So the halfblood knocked you up _again_?"

"Fair enough." She leads the way into the living room."So, do you want to meet your nephew?"

5) Little Eridanus is just as perfect as his brother, though unlike Hydrus, he looks much more like his mother than his father.

It takes them almost half a day to catch on to his shifting haircolour, which seemed to be a trick of the light at first.

"I shouldn't be surprised, really,"Bella says fondly. The ability manifests in differnt intensity in their family every now and again.

(Her first owl goes to Alphard, with his everchanging eyes that entertained her and her sisters so when they were young.)

**1973**

1) They're about to go to bed when the floo call comes. Ted looks very uncomfortable, and she can't blame him. They haven't seen one another since Hogwarts; she'd promised she'd come visit soon, but had cited her boys as a reason for Meda to come to her, instead. She hadn't bothered to extend the invitation to Meda's husband.

But here he is now, in her fireplace.

"Uhm,"he starts awkwardly,"Dromeda wants to know if you could come 'round. I'm apparently so panicky I'm not much help." Their confused looks register."Oh, uhm, her water broke."

Bella goes with her husband and sons in tow to support her sister.

2) Voldemort is left in charge of calming down Ted, which ends in an almost absurd amount of inane smalltalk, where neither wizard can tell which of them is more uncomfortable.

Ted feels obliged to offer food and drinks, and tries not to flinch everytime Voldemort adresses one of the children in Parseltongue.

Voldemort is clutching both his sons closely to him, as if they might catch _being a Squib_ if they were to touch a Mudblood's furniture.

They are both beyond relieved when the healer tells them the baby's finally here.

3) "This is Nymphadora,"Andromeda tells her husband.

"Oh, that's pretty,"Bella says at the same time as Ted says,"That's... pretty unusual."

Bellatrix slips out of the room to let them have that argument in peace.

( _Of course_ Andromeda gets her way in the matter.)

4) Narcissa pops in with presents and _I don't have much time, sorry_ s, just like she did for her nephews. When she leaves, she shows them her sparkling engagement ring, almost as an afterthought, but she is beaming."By the time either of you have another one, I'll be Mrs Malfoy, and Mother can't keep me from going anywhere."

"Oh, two's enough,"Bellatrix says flippantly, and brings her sister to the door. She almost runs straight into Voldemort when she goes to return to Dromeda.

"So, two is enough?"he asks, and she opens her mouth to say yes, only to close it again.

An heir and a spare, Walburga had dinned into her. But why should she do anything the way she'd been told as a kid?

She shrugs, then smiles."Maybe. We'll see, I guess."

5) They stay for a while, and soon realise that Nymphadora doesn't only change the colouring of her hair and eyes the way Eridanus does, but the shape of her nose, too. Even her skin tone matches that of whoever is holding her.

"Way to outdo me,"Bellatrix teases. Andromeda grins."What, me? Who always has to show up everyone? Who got pregnant and broke her betrothal? I just eloped!"

("We already have a baby,"Hydrus tells Andromeda, when Bellatrix lifts him onto the bed to meet his cousin. Dromeda nods."I know. This one's mine."

Hydrus thinks about that for a bit."That's alright, then. They try to eat your toys, y'know.")

**1974**

1) Druella and Mrs Malfoy think she's having brunch with her bridesmaids, and Persephone Zabini and Laurelai Greengrass would swear black and blue that she was with them, if it should come to that.

So for once, they aren't pressed for time, and all three sisters can catch up in peace, sitting in Andromeda's garden. Eri and Dora go back and forth between matching their eyes to eachothers' and giggling, and watching Hyde, who has found three snakes and is making them do little tricks.

"I'm really sorry you can't come to my wedding,"Narcissa sighs. Andromeda nudges her gently."Hey, that's alright. Neither of us invited you to ours."

2) Money's not exactly abundant, but they have a little something on the side if they should ever need it, and just enough left over to spend a long weekend at the Côte d'Azur for their anniversary.

Four days of sun and sand and sea; two of those with the kids building castles and collecting seashells before they floo them to Dromeda's.

And then it's two more days of drunk on love as much as wine.

3) She promised Sirius she'd come visit him on Hogsmead weekends years ago, so of course she does. She's a bit worried he'll be embarrassed by her showing up - he's a teenager now, afterall - but he's very excited to introduce his friends to her.

She gets the feeling that she's the parental substitute, here, since Sirius has met all their parents, and even if Walburga by some miracle agreed, she can't see Sirius wanting his friends anywhere near her.

("Your friends are lovely,"she tells him, and he beams."I especially like that Remus, he's so well-spoken."

She pretends not to notice him flushing beetred.)

4) She's in Diagon Alley to stock up on some ingredients and pop by Gringotts when she turns a corner and suddenly finds herself face to face with her mother.

Druella stands there, frozen, gaze shifting slowly from Bella's face to first Eridanus on her hip, then to Hydrus holding her hand. She steps towards them as if in trance, just a few inches, then spins on her heel and flees.

"Who was that, maman?"Hydrus wants to know. For a moment, all words stick in her throat. She coughs slightly."No one."

5) "Hydrus, don't call your brother names,"Bellatrix chastises. She'll never be able to speak it, but after years of intent listening (and bugging her husband) she can atleast understand most of what her four-year-old natters about in Parseltongue.

"But he's being annoying,"he whines in French. If Voldemort's heritage forces her to learn to make sense of barely distinguishable hissing, then he can learn French without complaining.

**1978**

1) She's four months pregnant and still hasn't told Narcissa. Andromeda has known for weeks, and even Sirius and Regulus know by now.

She doesn't know how to tell her baby sister, who looks at her niece and nephews so wistfully, and just had her second miscarriage.

How can she possibly tell her she's expecting twins?

2) Voldemort finally gets the promotion he's applied for a few times already. He's overqualified, in truth, should be further up the command chain. But it's a neverending tug of war between Roderick Lestrange, who can't let the past go, and Slughorn, who now has his heart set on having three Parselmouths in his house.

Perseus started speaking Parseltongue weeks before he even said his first English word. It was a bit concerning, really, but by now he's speaking in almost complete sentences.

(It's funny, though, how all three boys will switch from French to Parsel to English without so much as noticing they do it. Poor Nymphadora is sometimes rather confused by her cousins.)

3) They build another room onto their cottage, using most of the money Alphard left her two years ago; he got himself blasted off the family tapestry for that, Sirius said.

It's quite costly, but the twins will need the nursery, so Perseus needs a room to move into, and Hydrus and Eridanus are already sharing.

(Narcissa does cry when she finally tells her, but is excited for her sister.)

4) Neither Castor nor Pollux show signs of being metamorphmagi, which is a relief. They already look so identical, Bellatrix doesn't want to know how much trouble they could get up to if they could mess with their features.

5) The Tonks' and Gaunts go to Sirius's graduation ceremony, causing quite the stirr. Bellatrix can feel the disapproving gazes burning into the back of her head.

She knows she would have been the first to judge, only a few years ago. Would've sneered at Molly Weasley, who's come to see her youngest brother graduate with her five kids. As it is, they exchange polite nods. The Weasley twins can't be more than a few weeks younger than Castor and Pollux. It's almost funny.

Regulus waves at her from his seat between Cissa and that Ravenclaw boy he vehemently denies having a crush on whenever Sirius teases him for it. Something Crouch. Barty, she thinks.

She can only smile in return, a baby balanced in each arm. Dromeda offered to take one, of course, but they're in their fussy phase and won't let just anyone hold them without loudly protesting.

Voldemort is busy herding the older three along while telling them off in Parsel whenever they try to wander away.

"I like your hair,"Eridanus tells a young girl with purple curls in passing, and quickly changes his to match. Dora turns hers a bright pink in response.

(Even more whispering. But now, they're jealous.)

**1980**

1) She's starting to feel like a jerk when Narcissa comes to see her new baby nephew. She's had four kids since Narcissa started trying for her first, for Merlin's sake, and two of those were... happy accidents, as they say. Not that she'd ever tell her sister that.

But Cissa's almost five months along this time, and they're all feeling hopeful.

God knows Narcissa is ready to be a mother, the way her eyes fill with tears the second she sets sight on Nigellus.

2) Bellatrix is only a little surprised when Persephone asks her to be Blaise's godmother. Far less surprised than she was eight months ago, when Persephone stood infront of her door in the middle of the night and asked,"Would you do it again? Was it worth it?"

"It's not easy,"Bellatrix had told her honestly,"But I wouldn't change a thing."

Her halfblood gardener had proposed, but so had her cousin - to keep the shame from the family, to keep her child's name pure.

Bellatrix had thought of herself as a cautionary tale. As it turned out, she was more of an inspiration.

(She was maid of honour, too.)

3) Draco's born a little early and a little small, but he's healthy, and he's absolutely beautiful.

Bellatrix moves in for a week to help her get settled. She only brings Nigellus, since he's still nursing. Sirius goes round hers to help Voldemort with the rest of the kids. On the second day, he returns with his "friend" Remus as reinforcment. Not that anyone's buying the friend-thing anymore, except maybe James Potter, who can be remarkably thick for such a clever boy.

Druella insists on coming to help Narcissa, not taking no for an answer until Cissa finally blurts out the truth. Druella comes anyway.

(She barely speaks to her eldest daughter. She holds Nigellus twice. She's too proud to ask to meet her other grandchildren. Bellatrix is too proud to offer.)

4) At Reg's graduation, they make an even odder group than at Siri's. Mostly because now all of Sirius's friends sit with them, too.

"How do you do it with six of them?"Lily asks, only half-jokingly. Little Harry is highly concentrated on making spit bubbles."We haven't slept in two months."

"I haven't slept in ten years,"she deadpans.

Dear Merlin, she's joking around with a Mudblood - and not even her sister's. How the times have changed.

5) "We need another room,"Bellatrix says, pulling the covers over herself. Voldemort doesn't set his book aside, but shifts so she can properly curl up against him."Why? Nige can go into the old nursery with Perce once we take him out of our room."

"True,"she says."But I just feel like this one will be a girl."

"Huh." He puts his book on the nightstand. She's smiling like an idiot, and so is he."That'll be a change."

**1981**

1) Delphie is a full Metamorphmagus, just like her cousin. Maybe it's only properly passed from mother to daughter, Bellatrix muses. Not that is matters. Whether she picks her father's brown eyes or Bella's own grey, Delphie is the most beautiful little girl she has ever laid eyes on.

("She's like me!"Dora exclaims excitedly, when she plays around with all her features, and tiny Delphie copies her. Eri pretends he isn't jealous.)

2) The first trip to Diagon Alley for school supplies is supposed to be special, so they rope Sirius and Regulus in to babysit the rest of the kids while they go with Hydrus alone. At Voldemort's insistance, Sirius brings his boyfriend, which he now finally admits.

"Then there's at least one sensible person around,"Voldemort grumbles as they head out. Bellatrix laughs heartily. Not that she disagrees. She just never would've thought she'd seen the day when either of them felt better because a _fucking werewolf_ was in charge of taking care of their kids.

They can get his wand and his robes new, but his books are second-hand, and so is his potions kit. He insists he doesn't want a pet, since they're not allowed snakes, and if he can't have a snake, pets are useless.

(She has a sneaking suspicion he'll just find himself a snake in the Hogwarts grounds somewhere.)

They go for ice cream instead.

3) They have Dora and Draco around for the day, and Sirius comes by with his little godson. There's ten kids in the house, all but Delphie pretty capable of disappearing the second you look in another direction. But their garden has a magical border they can't cross on their own, and Cissa brought along her elf Dobby, who's a wonderful help with keeping tabs on where all of the kids are.

"I'm thinking of asking Remus to move in with me,"Sirius tells Bellatrix when they have a moment alone. Harry, who was terribly shy at first, has latched onto Perseus, who's sitting under a tree and reading Babbity Rabbity to Harry and Draco. Well, rattling it off by heart, she supposes. He can read, but not that fast."Reg's about to move out, so there's really nothing keeping me at Grimmauld Place anymore."

"It was good of you to stick around,"Bella tells him. She knows it must have been hard, but he held out for his little brother.

4) "Why don't you apply for Defense teacher?"Barty asks Remus over dinner at Sirius's and Remus's place. Remus smiles sadly."They wouldn't hire me. I'm too dangerous."

"You're not dangerous,"Regulus says as if that's the most ridiculous thing he's ever heard. Bellatrix wholeheartedly agrees. So he's a werewolf. But she's finally managed to master the Wolfsbane Potion, and Sirius has finally convinced Remus to let him pay for the ingredients, so he's no more dangerous than a puppy, even during the full moon.

"I'd like you to teach me, Uncle Rem,"Hydrus pipes up. He's pretty nervous about going to school soon. A familiar face would be very welcome. He's not sure what that whole "dangerous" business might be about.

Remus smiles at him."That would be nice." His smiles falters quickly."But you know what they say about the position. Best case scenario, I quit after a year."

"Oh, that superstitious nonsense." Voldemort winks at Bellatrix, takes a long drink of wine before continuing."If you applied, Remus, I dare say you'll find that that alleged curse doesn't exist. It would be better for the children not to switch teachers so often, don't you think?"

"I suppose you're right." Remus agrees mainly to be polite. But the idea takes root in him.

5) Bellatrix fights hard against the tears when they see Hydrus off for his first term at Hogwarts. She could swear it can't have been over eleven years since she first held him in her arms, smaller than Delphie is now.

"I'll write you once I'm settled,"Hydrus promises his siblings. The twins are clinging to his legs, demanding to come along. Eridanus is pretending not to be crying. Perseus doesn't even try to hold back, wailing at the top of his lungs. Hydrus smiles, partly embarrassed, partly wanting to cry aswell."It's okay, Percy. I'll get Uncle Remus to let me floo you from his office, yeah?"

Bellatrix almost doesn't want to let him get on the train. She waves until her little boy is out of sight.

How is she supposed to do this for the next nineteen years?

**1984**

1) "Do you think there's something wrong with her?"Bellatrix asks. It sounds pretty harsh, phrased like that, but she can't bring herself to say _Is our daughter a squib?_ "I mean, why doesn't she speak Parseltongue?"

"I don't know,"Voldemort says."She can understand it, I can tell. Maybe it varies. I mean, Eri is somewhat a Metamorphmagus. She might be somewhat a Parselmouth."

It sounds like a question. Bellatrix shrugs."Maybe. But do you think she -"

She trails off. Voldemort knows what she means.

"She's a full-fledged Metamorphmagus,"he says after a long while. He doesn't sound entirely convinced himself.

There's not enough Metamorphmagi around to know whether they can be squibs.

2) Sirius walks out of the floo as if it's not incredibly rude to just show up at people's houses uninvited."Hey, Bella, you're good with healing spells, right?"

"What did you do?"Bellatrix asks, exasperated.

"Got into a bit of a tiff with old man Crouch." He holds out his bruised knuckles to her."He said some stuff to Reg and Barty I wasn't too fond of. You know he's a homophobic piece of -" He catches sight of Nigellus and Delphie playing with their building blocks nearby. "- soap."

"Fair enough,"Bellatrix says, and fixes up his hand.

3) "Maman?" Delphie puts her hand on the book to interrupt her bedtime story."What's a squib?"

"Where did you hear that?"asks Bellatrix, voice calm but heart racing. Have they discussed it somewhere the kids could have overheard?

Delphie shrugs."Eri said to Hyde I might be one."

"You're not,"Bellatrix says. Delphie nods."Okay. But what is it?"

Bella picks up the book again."It doesn't matter, Delphie. It's bedtime."

4) When visiting Persephone to meet her newborn baby daughter, Miranda, she casually asks whether her godson has shown any signs of magic yet. She's relieved to find that the answer is no, and Blaise is a whole year older than Delphie at that.

Still, she's not entirely at ease. Who knows, maybe Blaise is a squib, too.

5) The snakes come to DElphie in the garden just as happily as they came to all her brothers.

Hissing flows from the little girl's lips as easily as English when she is looking at them. The second the snakes are gone, so is her ease with the language.

Perseus pulls a face when he asks her something in Parsel, and gets the reply in French.

**1986**

1) "You can't come play, you're a girl,"Castor says, marching off with his brothers towards the broomshed. Nigellus hesitates for a moment, giving her an apologetic half-smile."It's three on three Quidditch anyways, Del. We can't have teams if there's seven of us."

She pretends not to mind. She goes to help Maman with her potions. She doesn't tell on her brothers.

Even though she knows Bellatrix would go ballistic if she'd heard what Castor said.

2) Hydrus has been made Head Boy, and Eridanus and Perseus are making fun of him relentlessly.

Delphie wishes they would make fun of her for something nice for a change, and not just because she's still done now magic and her Parsel is off. She knows what a squib is by now, and the word alone makes her palms sweat and her vision blurr.

3) "Hey, come on, lay off the squiblet,"Hydrus reprimands the twins goodnaturedly. They've been trying to startle her into accidental magic for a few days now. Turning her teddy into a spider with Father's wand is a new low; to be fair, she's not sure what they were trying to do. It still makes her cry. She only cries harder when Hydrus says that word.

"Hey, you're okay, I turned that thing back into your bear." He tries to pick her up to calm her down, but she kicks at him."Come on, squiblet. It's okay, the twins are sorry."

But she's not crying because of the twins anymore.

4) It becomes something of a petname. Delphie pretends she thinks it's funny, too, so that the boys don't think she's being overly sensitive because she's a girl.

Maman and Father tell them off every time they hear them use it, but that stops the boys from saying it about as well as getting grounded stopped them from doing breakneck stunts on their brooms.

5) Dora kicks Eridanus in the knee so hard he goes down when he says girls can't fly, and then teaches Delphie how to fly.

Soon, she's getting grounded for her antics just as much as her brothers.

**1990**

1) "This is getting ridiculous,"Bellatrix says."It can't be normal. I don't know any kids that show magic this late."

"The Longbottoms's boy hasn't yet,"Andromeda says soothingly."And he's almost ten. She'll be fine, Bella."

"And if she really is a squib?"Bella can't help but ask.

Andromeda shrugs."Then she'll be fine, anyways."

Bellatrix nods to that. She would be sad, yes. But she wouldn't love Delphie any less."Can you imagine if it had been one of us? Aunt Walburga would've stolen us in the middle of the night to drown us in some lake."

2) Pollux laughs in her face. She bites her lip to keep from crying. She only said she wants to be on a Chocolate Frog card one day.

"They don't put squibs on those, dummy,"he says. She bites down harder."I'm not a squib!"

"You're not even a proper Parselmouth,"Castor backs up his twin.

"Yes, I am,"Delphie says, knowning the hissing doesn't flow as smooth as her brothers's, not when she doesn't have a snake before her."You know I am. I'm not a squib." She tastes blood, but the tears don't spill over."I'm a Metamorphmagus!"

"Stop feeling so special,"Pollux says, and the twins leave her there.

She's never felt less special in her life.

3) "Are potions magic?"Delphie wants to know, carefully chopping up the dried roots Bella has given her. Bellatrix shrugs."In a way, I suppose."

"And I'm good at potions, right?" She tries to sound nonchalant, but sounds desperate vene to her own ears.

"Right,"says Bellatrix."Very good, in fact. Is there something you want to ask me?"

_Am I a squib? Will you still love me if I am?_

"No,"she lies, and her mother doesn't push.

4) "Pollux says if you don't fit into any house, then the Sorting Hat sends you back home,"Nigellus says. He's obsessed with this, now that he'll be the next to go.

Delphie makes the mistake of giggling."That's not how it works."

He glares at her."Oh, what do you know, squib?"

It hurst so much because he's never called her that before.

She locks herself in her room for the rest of the day, and cries her eyes out.

5) "Will I have to go live with Muggles?"she wants to know.

"You're not a squib,"Voldemort says.

"But let's say I were."

Bellatrix sighs."No one is making you live with Muggles, dear."

"But shouldn't I?"she presses. She's read up on squibs. They aren't exactly welcomed with open arms in the Wizarding workforce."Are they really as stinky as Uncle Lucius says?"

"Lucius says a lot of things,"Bella says diplomatically."And you're not a squib."

"But what if -"

"Do you want me to ask Uncle Ted to take you on a trip to Muggle London?"Bellatrix interrupts.

(She still doesn't want to be a squib. But if she has to be, then she'll work in a cinema one day. Those things are _so cool_.)

**1992**

1) "What if I don't get a letter?"Delphie asks in a whisper. Castor has called her squiblet again, and she tries not to mind, she really does. But it's hard not to.

Nigellus puts an arm around her shoulder."But you will get one."

She leans against him."But what if I don't?"

"Maybe that would be okay, too,"he says, and he sounds like he means it.

"Yeah. Maybe." Delphie doesn't mean it, not even a little bit.

2) She gets the letter and cries with relief. Maman and Father take her to Diagon Alley together. Her heart swells with pride when the second wand she tries chooses her. It took Hydrus eight tries.

They still call her squiblet, sometimes, but she doesn't mind anymore. It really is just a joke, now.

3) A small redhead knocks on the compartment door. Her robes are second hand, but Delphie can only tell because she's wearing some of Dora's, and knows the look of even pristine hand-me-downs."Can we sit here? Everywhere else is full?"

"Sure,"she says, and the redhead enters, followed by a blonde who looks like she's barely aware where she is."I'm Delphie Gaunt, and that's Astoria Greengrass."

"I'm Ginny Weasley,"the girl replies, and gestures to her friend."That's Luna Lovegood."

"Oh, our brothers have a feud,"Delphie says happily."Percy and Percy?"

"Right, the thing about how there can only be one." Ginny grins. Delphie nods."Plus the Oliver Wood thing."

"I knew it!"Ginny exclaims."Percy's sooo denying that."

4) The first Quidditch match of the year is Slytherin versus Gryffindor.

Delphie supports her house, of course, but Lee Jordan is the funniest person she's ever met. If she liked boys, she'd be crushing hard.

"And Wood might've caught that one,"Lee is saying just then,"If he'd paid attention to the Quaffle and not the admittedly handsome Slytherin chaser nowhere near it."

"Jordan,"McGonagall's warning voice can be heard. Lee isn't fazed."I'm just saying, Professor, we might want to check the rulebook to see if blatant flirting with the opposing Keeper can be defined as cheating. And Gaunt has the Quaffle now - and he shoots - and he winks - and Wood fumbles. Twenty to nothing for Slytherin. You see, Professor? That's not very good sportsmanship."

"Keep it in your pants, Oliver!"Johnson shouts across the field to uproarious laughter. Okay, _now_ Delphie is definetly crushing hard.

5) "Are you alright?"Astoria wants to know. Delphie blinks at her, nonplussed."Why wouldn't I be?"

Astoria shrugs."Well, I know you didn't know him, but still. I thought it might be weird for you."

"Know who?"asks Delphie. Pansy and Astoria exchange a look before the older replies."Your grandfather. Cygnus Black? He died last night."

"Oh." She can't say she particularly cares."Is that why Draco's not here?"

"He flooed home really early today. Blaise told me,"says Pansy.

Delphie reaches for more bacon."Bummer."

Typical of her cousin to forget to tell her. She makes a mental note to inform her brothers.

**1993**

1) Bellatrix is in the middle of some delicate measurments when she hears the knock on the door. It's probably Sirius coming to get the book he forgot her last week when they came over for Boxing Day."Delphie, can you get the door, please?"

She hears her daughter's steps bounding down the hallway, then silence.

"Mum!"shouts Delphie finally."There's some woman here to see you!"

Some woman? Bellatrix sets her scales aside and walks into the hall. She stops dead in her tracks. Delphie looks between the two women in confusion.

"Hello, Bellatrix,"Druella says, as if she dropped by every week."May I come in?"

"Are you done being a judgemental bitch, then?"she replies in French. Delphie grins at her."I know that was a bad word, Maman!" She turns to Druella."She doesn't tell us the bad words in French. That's how I know. Who are you?"

Druella looks to Bellatrix for permission, and then turns to Delphie as Bella slowly nods."I'm your grandmother, Delphinus."

So she at least bothered to learn the children's names. That's something.

"Grandmère?"Delphie repeats as if she's sure she has misheard. As no one corrects her, she lets out a low whistle."Bloody hell."

2) Narcissa has the whole family over for brunch. Well, almost. Walburga refused to come, unsurprisingly. Nymphadora shows up looking as Muggle as physically possible, and Bellattrix catches Eridanus mouthing "Great idea." at his cousin before turning his hair an almost painful green. Delphie catches on, too, and sports a bright yellow mohican haircut in seconds.

Druella looks like she might faint any second, but soldiers on bravely, making polite, if somewhat shallow conversation.

3) "Maman, can I go to Ginny's birthday next week?"Delphie asks."She owled me earlier, and her mum says it's okay. It's on Wednesday, but I'm invited til the weekend. The whole family's coming, so she wants me and Luna to stay. There's too many boys."

She wrinkles her nose at that, and Bellatrix can't help but smile."Sure you can, darling. Any thoughts on what present you want to get her?"

"Her whole family?"Nigellus interrupts." _All_ her brothers?"

Delphie nods, bemused. Nigellus pushes his plate aside."Charlie Weasley's coming? You're going to meet Charles Septimus Weasley?"

"I don't think I'll be calling him that,"Delphie says."But yeah. Charlie's coming."

" _The_ Charlie Weasley that figured out how to collect venom samples from the Peruvian Vipertooth without getting injured?" Nige's voice is getting more and more high-pitched with excitement.

Delphie shrugs."I dunno. If you say he did that, I guess he did that. You're the dragon nerd, not me."

( _Can my annoying dragon obsessed brother come meet_ _Charlie?,_ she writes to Ginny, _I think he's about to have a stroke or something._

Nigellus is lucky he's her favourite brother.)

4) "So, you weren't made Head Boy,"Castor says happily as Perseus looks over his booklist but makes no mention of a badge."No." He doesn't sound disappointed."I suppose they made Weasley Head Boy."

"And you're fine with that?"Delphie asks. Those two have been rivals practically since they first stepped foot on the Hogwarts Express.

"Sure. We were both made Prefect, I'm Quidditch Captian, he's Head Boy." A devious grin spreads over his face."I've got a date set up with Oliver Wood. Scoreboard, little sister. I win."

5) Molly's general philosophy has always been _The more, the merrier_ , so of course Nigellus can come, too.

He manages not to make a complete fool of himself, and Charlie is happy to tell him as many stories as he wants. He's reminded of how he felt when he met Newt Scamander the first time.

"I have a theory that I might be able to speak to wyrms,"Nigellus tells him after a while.

The invitation to visit the Sanctuary in Romania some time turns into Charlie calling in a few favours, and them going to a research facility in France a few days later. Nymphadora goes along, since no one else could get time off work that last-minute.

Nigellus's theory holds true, and he's credited as co-author on Charlie's academic paper that revolutionises the field.

("You can mention it twice more before I'm jinxing your mouth shut,"Pollux tells him a few days later.)

**1994**

1) Hydrus manages to get them all tickets for the World Cup, since he's working for the _Department of Magical Games and Sport._ They're all excited. Even Eridanus, who's been sulking since he and Emmet Bones broke up, is finally in a good mood again.

Perseus goes with Oliver, though, so Delphie instantly steals his spot for Pansy.

They end up being eachothers' first kiss, the last two to linger around the fire in the circle of the Malfoy, Black and Gaunt tents.

Delphie never thought she liked boys in the first place, but for Pansy it's quite the revelation.

(They date for a bit, but decide they're better off as friends pretty quickly.)

2) None of them is the right age to actually take part in the Triwizard Tournament, but it's still the coolest thing they can think of - even with just having witnessed the Quidditch World Cup live.

(Delphie finds Fleur lost in the castle one day, and offers in French to help her get wherever it is she's going. From then on, Fleur always greets her and smiles when they see eachother. That is quite possibly more exciting than the World Cup and the Triwizard put together.)

3) Nigellus is keeping up a running commentary about dragons that is a lot more informative than anything Bagman has to say on the matter.

"Diggory's hot,"Castor says apropos of nothing. Delphie shrugs."Delacour is hot."

"Krum's hot,"says a voice in the row behind them, and they all turn around to find Ron Weasley, who looks as surprised as them to find those words coming out of his mouth. Harry Potter only grins at his best friend."They're all hot."

"Why's everyone so hot?"Draco says. Luna looks up from her Quibbler."Oh, I know this one. The Muggles call it Global warming."

"That's not what -" Hermione Granger breaks off, shaking her head. Sometimes, it's just best not to argue with Luna.

4) "So, Yule Ball,"Pansy says, dropping a huge binder down between them in the common room."Blaise, you're taking Delphie. Nigellus, you're taking Astoria. And Draco, you're taking Luna."

"Do we get a say in this?"Blaise asks mildly. Pansy laughs."No. They're not allowed to come otherwise. So, that's how we're doing it." She bites her lower lip nervously."Uhm, Del, we kind of need a new plan to get Ginny there."

"Neville already asked her,"Delphie says, eyeing her friend with curiosity."And you couldn't take her _why_?"

Pansy flushes bright red and starts flipping through her binder at random, dressrobes, flowers, anything to avoid looking up."Elody asked me, and I kinda said yes. You know, the tall redhead from Beauxbatons."

"So you get to pick your date but we don't?"Nigellus says. Pansy fixes him with a deathglare."I'm sorry, was there a dragon you were going to bring to this thing?"

5) "What a pretty couple,"Castor says as Cedric and Cho dance by their table. Pollux nods sagely, taking a sip of his drink."True. So, break them up and keep the pieces for ourselves?"

Delphie leaves them to their plotting and goes in search of her friends. She spots Parvati and Harry dancing nearby - his pagri matches her sari, and they look amazing - but she doesn't think they want to be bothered. She only makes it a few steps further before one of the Durmstrang girls asks her to dance. She forgets all about her friends right then.

**1995**

1) Delphie hides her face behind her hands as Cedric helps Pollux out of the water."Oh my god, that's so gay."

"They are gay,"Pansy says helpfully. Delphie peeks at her friend from between her fingers."You know what I meant. They've been dating for, like, five weeks. This is just embarrassing."

"Same with Krum,"Nigellus adds."If your most important person is someone you've known for three months, I have some bad news about your friends and family."

"I think it's romantic,"Cho says, quietly. She's still a bit overwhelmed by the sheer size of Castor's family.

"I think you had a close shave,"Astoria mumbles under her breath, so that only Delphie can hear it. Delphie chuckles, but elbows her in the ribs for the sake of form."He's dating my brother now."

Astoria shrugs."Pollux can handle it."

2) Maybe Cedric is a bit intense, but so is Pollux, and it works. Not to mention that Cedric is an absolute sweetheart.

The champions get tickets to invite people for the last challenge, and since he doesn't have a very big family, he ends up inviting the Gaunts.

No one screams louder than Pollux when Cedric emerges from the maze victorious.

The families of the champions are milling about, waiting for the feast to start, for the Daily Propget to get their fill of pictures and interviews, and since Cedric invited them, they're hanging around, too.

"You know, that Krum is kind of cute up close,"Eridanus says after a while, and goes to chat him up without further ado.

Perseus hands Hydrus five galleons without comment.

3) "Ursula moved back to England,"Hydrus tells them. Bellatrix tries to refrain from a knowing smile. His best friend from his Hogwarts days."Oh?"

"I thought I'd bring her round for dinner?" He sounds nervous. Delphie giggles.

"How lovely,"Bellatrix says.

(They're engaged before the year is out.)

4) "There hasn't been a girl on theSlytherin Quidditch team since you left school,"Delphie tells Ursula. She's a bit struck with heroworship. Next to Nymphadora, Ursula is basically the coolest person she knows.

"That's a shame,"Ursula say."Maybe you should try out?"

(She makes the Quidditch team at the start of the new school year.)

5) "Come on, Toria, don't be mad." Delphie pokes her in the side with the tip of her foot. They're sprawled out in the common room.

"I'm not mad at you,"Astoria insists."It's just that you're my best friend, so you dating my sister is kind of like... incest by proxy."

"Incest by proxy?"Delphie repeats, and they both burst out in a fit of giggles.

(She never lets her live that comment down when Toria starts dating Nigellus seven years later.)

**1996**

1) "So, I hear Professor Slughorn is retiring,"Eridanus says over dinner.

"You hear a lot from him because you're dating an international star,"Castor says. He's not wrong.

Eridanus sghrugs with a huge grin."Anyways, that means Slytherin will get a new Head of House. And you kids will get a new potions teacher."

"Ugh, in OWLs year?"Delphie complains."Whoever it is, they'll better know what they're doing."

(She's perfectly happy with Uncle Regulus.)

2) "Yes, score!"Delphie yells, slapping the Daily Prophet down on the breakfast table as she jumps to her feet. Quite a few people turn to stare at her in bemusement. She turns bright red from her neck to the tips of her hair."Uh, Quidditch results?"

(It wasn't that. Since the awkward moment with Cygnus's death, she always checks the obituaries. A bit of glee over Roderick Lestrange kicking the bucket is surely allowed. Sirius spills a lot of stuff Maman doesn't know they know.)

3) She and Daphne split up amicably enough for Daphne to tell her to stop being a baby and finally do something about her obvious crush on Weasley.

"I don't have a -" she starts, but falters. It makes an awful lot of sense."Oh my god. Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"We thought you knew,"Daphne says."It's pretty damn obvious."

(She goes to tell Ginny, who beats her to speaking, and tells her she just started dating Dean Thomas.)

4) They're hanging out by the lake, and Ginny brought along Lavender. Harry and Parvati are basically inseperable, as are Ron and Hermione. Lavender needed a break from grossly in love couples.

"So aren't your parents annoyed you're not dating a nice pureblood boy?"she asks Pansy at some point. Pansy shrugs."Not really. My older cousin's wife just gave birth to a boy, so the family name is safe. And the Heir to Black family is shacking up with a halfblood, so I guess people have to turn a blind eye for more stuff than they used to."

"Uncle Sirius destroyed homophobia,"Delphie says earnestly. She manges not to giggle for a whole two seconds."But really, Pansy's right. A handful of people married outside their social circles within a few years, and walls just crumbled. Not everyone is a happy to disown kids as my late grandfather."

"Not to mention Aunt Bella's uterus single-handedly saved Parseltongue from extinction,"Astoria added."So mixed lines can work."

"Can we not discuss my mother's uterus?" Delphie pulls a face. Lavender appears to have stopped listening."So you're allowed to like girls?"

"Yeah,"Pansy says, a small smile on her lips."I have to get to the library, finish that potions essay. Wanna come?"

"Sure,"Lavender says, and they get up to leave.

"I know for a fact she finished that yesterday,"Luna says without looking up from her Quibbler.

(They don't even make it back to the castle before they're holding hands.)

5) Her parents and Sirius are waiting in Remus's office with him when she comes in. She thought she was just popping by for a cuppa.

"Am I in trouble?"she wants to know. She can't think why she would be.

"No, dear,"Bellatrix says."Sirius wants to ask you something."

She gestures for her cousin to go ahead.

"Okay, so you know Remus and I aren't planning on having any children, right?" She nods, and he continues."And I've asked your parents, so if you're alright with it, too, I'd like to name you my heir."

"What?"she says. He nods."Yeah, the only condition would be that you and any hypothetcial chuldren you have one day bear the name Black."

"Can you hear that?"Delphie says to everyone's confusion. She grins."That's Greataunt Walburga spinning in her grave."

"So that's a yes?"Sirius makes sure, and she nods.

**1998**

1) "So what are we gonna do about this?"Ginny asks as they're getting ready for their graduation ceremony, Ginny braiding her hair as she speaks.

"About my hair?"she asks. Ginny shakes her head."No, Del. This... tension." She is silent for a moment, cheeks glowing."Please tell me that's not just in my head."

Delphie bites her lip to keep from smiling like a dork."No, it's not just in your head."

She gently untangles Ginny's fingers from her hair, gets up and turns to face her."And to answer your question, I think we should kiss."

"I think that's a really good idea,"Ginny breathes, barely an inch from Delphie's lips.

2) Hydrus and Ursula bring their three-day-old baby to the ceremony. It's the first time Delphie sees her little niece, and she's instantly enamoured with her.

So much so that she doesn't even mind Rigel leaving a speck of babypuke on her dressrobes.

3) They're first real date is to a cinema in Muggle London, and they are very close to reporting Griffin Dunne, whoever that may be, for breach of the International Statue of Secrecy. They even floo Nymphadora, since she's an auror and they're not sure what to do.

Once she stops laughing long enough to get out words again, she explains that _Practical Magic_ wasn't a documentary, and none of the Muggles seeing it would think it could ever happen in real life.

They're only a little bit embarrassed.

4) Delphie knows Auntie Cissa tried to give him her grandmother's ring, but she thinks Draco made the right call proposing with that radish-shaped ruby and white gold ring.

On anyone else's hand it might look ridiculous, but on Luna's finger it just makes sense.

"Can you believe we accidentally started this because you guys were too young for the Yule Ball,"Pansy says fondly, when the couple tells them all."And now you're getting married! I really should meddle in people's lives way more often."

5) Ginny becomes a world-renowned Quidditch player, while Delphie follows her Father into Ministry work.

It's about time someone did something about the way squibs are treated, she thinks, even if she turned out not to be one.

**2021**

Alphard Black, Heir to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, gets sorted into Hufflepuff.

"Well, guess the whole Slytherin or Gryffindor debate was a waste of time,"Ginny says. Delphie kisses her wife and smiles."I suppose it was, love."

**Author's Note:**

> so this was prompted like 10 months ago lmao but here it is


End file.
